Unit Request! Kalaripayattu or Kalari ~ The first Martial Artist

Hi Folks,

I'm nearly done with this Mughals scenario upgrade. It's looking pretty fresh and different. There are plenty of new features in there, new wonders, altogether new units, game balance seriously sorted out with some heavy european agression out of the previously reluctant AI, beautiful new icons etc. But there are still some holes with unit art, as is often the case with subcontinental modding.

I am going to make one small straight up request here and now and I plead with you all to please come up with something. I'm requesting it rather than compromising because this unit will be of good use to the Battlefield Asia and Rise of Asia crowds. It will also help fill some sorrowfully large gaps in the general availability of Indian unit lines.

The Unit is the Kalari or Kalaripayattu Fighter, as pictured here.



Inside the spoiler is the Pedia entry I have to give you more info about their claim to be 'the first martial artists'.
One particularly interesting feature of this unit would be the possible inclusion of his "urumi" or 'steel ribbon sword'. This was a sword that acted almost like a whip, that was and still is flicked and lashed at the enemy. When it 'got your arm' it would rap around it like a python and slice right through to the bone. Such was the smithing of this 'dual ribbon' sword. Here is the urumi in action:



So far I have an option of this unt, The Arabian Swordsman:



Or this unit, the Martial Artist.

Neither are quite right.

Please help if you can. I'm pretty sure others would make use of this guy, hence me sticking my neck above the parapet with a request. I'd also be interested in hearing if anyone has any info on what the Sri Lankan military was like between say 1520-1650. I know they got dicked on by everyone passing by, but what were they fronting in battle to get dicked on?

OMG Look at those swords !!!
Here's another pic from wiki with that cool sword:

Because i asume that before the atack the sword would be rolled into a coil.(if you are planing to use this sword)

Anyway i could use this one as well for my 3rd mod.
I hope this is going to be maid.

Heretic_Cata said:

Because i asume that before the atack the sword would be rolled into a coil.(if you are planing to use this sword)

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Good point. The sword is worn around the waist, like a belt, when not in use. Many have two handles at either end. So you swing / lash it out with one handle (take off an arm) and grab the other handle as it comes back in. Then you spin around, and use the momentum to swing out with the other hand, taking your opponent's head of with this next lash.

Needless to say, it's highly risky using such a weapon. The Urumi is the ultimate, the pinnacle of a Kalari's achievements. Only the highest ranking veterans get to use the urumi. They have all manner of swords, daggers, parry sticks and shields to have fun with before that stage though.

There are accounts I've read (not to hand right now) that these men seemed like 'birds with tallons' on the battlefield. They literally were felt to be flying at their opponents owing to their acrobatic prowess. However, their flexibility also came from a total lack of armour. So once they entered a melee, they either sliced everyone to pieces (if they were using an urumi) or they got killed quicktime.

This martial art is also heavily followed by women and the diaries, histories, letters etc of South Indian kings richly illustrate many famous female Kalaris.

Kalaripayattu is also a fully developed health system, including forms of yoga, meditation, massage, ayurvedic medicine and of course - killing people.

Hey and maybe he should have some leap atack like the 2 dudes in the pic overthere - though i am not sure if that is how you use that weapon ... anyway i was thinking to a leap atack like here.

STILL no unit makers posted in this thread .

I haven't heard about this unit before, but the name sounds fantastic!

Looks interesting... its great how I can learn new ways to kill people when I browse these forums

Rambuchan said:

I'd also be interested in hearing if anyone has any info on what the Sri Lankan military was like between say 1520-1650. I know they got dicked on by everyone passing by, but what were they fronting in battle to get dicked on?

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http://www.army.lk/History.htm
For some reason this page is down, although the Sri Lankan Army website as a whole is there. If/when it's up it's worth a look (some good info mixed with a strong element of jingoism). Here's an image of what they consider a hero (18-19th century CE if i remember) that I had downloaded before:

That picture is certainly something to work on Blue Monkey. What a shame that site is under construction. Big thanks for that info though. I does help.

I guess this will be yet another unit request I make which simply sinks to the bottom without a trace.... It's not like I make these requests just for myself.

Don't give up Rambuchan .
Try PM-ing some unit makers.

I just feel like a pest doing stuff like that.

Rambuchan said:

I just feel like a pest doing stuff like that.

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Yea but it's the only way to get it done, (unfortunatley). I made some threads with requests of stuff and they didn't get much atention, but i PM-ed some unit/graphics makers and they got done eventualy.

In how much time do you need the unit ? If you don't need them right away, than there is a higher chance of this to be made, kuz they might queue it up and someday it will be made. Kuz all the unit-makers are always busy.

I know people are busy and that they do it all as a hobby, hence my reluctance to pester people. But you're right that sometimes this is the only way. I may well go this route, because I do believe it would be both a useful unit, needed to fill a gap, and a pretty damn cool project to boot! (the flying attack animation you linked to is just the kind of thing actually)

This clearly will not be done in time for a looming upgrade release (like your cities Aion ), I'll have to compromise for that, which is a familiar feeling for modding Indian scenarios. But I'd be happy for everyone if it made it into someone's queue to be done some day soon.

Well I would like to see this unit done as well. Unfortunately everyone seems to be working on all this fantasy stuff at the moment, monsters and whatnot. I would not PM the unit makers, that would just annoy them. They will see this request eventually. Just have patience.

Rambuchan said:

(like your cities Aion )

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I knew you would say something like that

Let's see if I can finish the Indian cityset or at least the ancient / Hindu era (damn, I had half forgotten about it ), but of course I can't promise anything, you know. Until when does the stuff need to have been done in order to be included in the update?

IMHO it's no problem if you keep doing requests. People will fullfil them if they want to, if they don't, they won't. That easy Requesting stuff is fine as long as you don't take it for granted that it's done.

Also, your requests have a special importance, since you have already greatly contributed to the community with your mod . It's not like some newbie would turn up and request 78 different units for his 'Battle of Frogs and Mice' -mod he will never complete anyway.

Yes, I thought I would squeeze out a gentle reminder there Aion. It was looking so good and I've got other ones of yours in for cities.

I could post the upgrade now actually, but I'm going to give it one more night's polishing. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the revision. I'm not a fan of whacking loads of patches up every few days or weeks. But there may be little tweeks to do from reports in the first couple of weeks after its release. I'd love to include your city graphics in that.

I'm also going to start posting up some of the wonders I've been making, with the icons and pedia write ups. Start putting a bit more out now that I've been getting the hang of things.

I don't want to be a downer or anything, but I'm not going take this project on. It does seem to be an interesting unit, but I don't think that this sword/belt thing can be done--at least not by me. I did want to at least let you know that I saw the request.

Thanks utah, kind of you to mention it. That's all perfectly understandable.

BTW - I'm open to however anyone wants to interpret the unit.

Aion said:

It's not like some newbie would turn up and request 78 different units for his 'Battle of Frogs and Mice' -mod he will never complete anyway.

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DOOD KUD YA MAK IT KUZ ID PLAY IT> WAY KOOL. EMALE ME WEN ITZ DUN BYE THE WAY HOW DU I DOWNLODE N INSTAL IT HEY IZNT ANYBODEE LISTNING???

Blue Monkey said:

DOOD KUD YA MAK IT KUZ ID PLAY IT> WAY KOOL. EMALE ME WEN ITZ DUN BYE THE WAY HOW DU I DOWNLODE N INSTAL IT HEY IZNT ANYBODEE LISTNING???

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Y R U SPEEKIN THAT WAY

Aion said:

Y R U SPEEKIN THAT WAY

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I had this almost unconscious response that it would be fun to play a mod called the battle of frogs and mice, then consciously reread that post, and laughed at myself. Made me reflect on the kind of post the mythical newbee would leave, so I made a comepletely inappropriate response and posted it. Just a non-sequitor.